Aepasastts foe bianotactubtug artificial ice



Sept. 10, 1929. w. F. PHARR APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL ICEFiled May 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet f xwentoz w FPHAQ/.

Chroma Sept. 10, 1929. w. F. PHARR APPARQTUS FOR MANUFACTURINGARTIFICIAL ICE Filed May 24. 1927 2 Shoots-Sheet 5 5 -s 23 15am. gmmntm{I w H I22.

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\VILLIAM l PHARR, 3F BKRMING-HAMI, ALABAMA.

APPABA'EUS HLANUFACTURENG ARTIFICIAL ICE.

Application filed May 242,

raw water ice freezing; system oil the stationary can type.

ol'x cost or or numlriiu oiling plants; simplify by ardizutioi thenianuizwture, shipnie replacement of co uncut andv s rials; reduce thecost chemical.

o l lily invention are to lo from ll to 38 hours; ouichen wi the 1 it wethat pm osc; reduce the 1 due to exposure of cold sur' uirinp; extrawater or s res mo quote y protect the air ano Water "ire .1g; and obt.11 great flexibility inc; the can core writer on All of the above advarh addition to the known advantages stationary can rem ov i no; andreplacin wer th e null installation of artificial ice standnt and col;mate-- reduce the freezing time for 300 lb. blocl'cs to SFLVG H ethawing ime .am :ior

losses re adeies from g their d harvcstiu the finished ice. es areobtained in of the .s such as their labor economy; group system ji'illiuthawing and core removal; and 'uitomatic flint control. of

the (on water levels.

'llhe most li'ilj'lOltanlfeature of my invention is cl'mcerucd with theconstruction of the can and the circulation of the lilrine there throughfOllS in the fore cooler \vh,

ouch? e of heal; and cold. will warm circnlm d brine sulliciently tothaw and at 1 0 some time to cool. the in can water. l lhe 119cc,

According; to my "present invention it sm'rounding its re; under itsboecom. and thus in'ovided circulate ocily, utilizing: valve conthebrine can be reoler or i the the rethe ice 0 omi n o 5? my arrangementl. eliminate T oi lurgre brine storage capacity and my improved inelhod.ol cure-Hist lllf); the

brine provides tor the lowest possible freer,-

i h and th vi exposure or wally the cnti re con T at high velocity.

1e tract that the inner o imc because of the absolute surface iculatieh.ol coal or warm brine tra active feature of my invenreezing uiiected tothe water ll ials at the sur 1927. Serial No. 153,850.

oil the latter by the brine in the jacket and to cause a small pocket toform at the bottom of the ice block in place of the protruding lug); ofice now generally produced, thereby avoiding the necessity of removingsuch lug before the block can he stood on end.

A hirther important feature of my invention lies in the fact that theinner or freezing; on can be readily detached and removed from itsjacket without disturbing the brine and Water circulating connections tothe latter or the air and water connection to the can itself, therebyreducin maintenance and simplifying the labor and expense of freezing:can replacement.

Another distinctive feature of my invention lies in the utilization ofthe single supply water connection to serve both for the core waterremoval and for the introduction of air coming from suitable airlaterals.

A further distinctive feature relates to the manner of insulating); allcold surfaces, and to this end the jacketed cans are surrounded withproper insulation which extends under their bottoms and protects the airand water connections from freezing and effectively insulatesthe brineheaders and laterals. By this arrangement a very large economy in plantconstruction can be obtained because tl'iere is no necessity for heavyor expensive su 'umrts for the cans and all tank construction iseliminated.

Another distinctive feature of my can construction lies in. the factthat the inner or freezing); can is detachably connected to the jacketby a readily accessible joint at the top and at the bottom is free ofconnections except l'othe Water header, which connection 1' made by anipple readily removable from the to}? of the coin thereby simplifyingto the maximum degree the removal and replac merit of the ice cans.

ll'iv invention further comprises the novel details of construction andarrangements of part-1, which, in their preferred embodiment only areillustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisspecification euid which up is on we mulling he mil and showing thepiping system laid out in the manner suitable for a ready understandingof the operation of the system.

2 is an enlarged cross-section through a can 1 .ren on the line H-H ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line TIIIIT of Fig. 1, with the can shownpartly broken away.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi lar parts throughout thedrawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illus trated, I show a group of canscomprising-the inner freezing cans 5 and the outer jackets 6 which arearranged in groups and surrounded by suitable insulation 7 (see Fig. 2)about the sides and insulation 8 under the bottom of the cans andbetween the stringers or beams 9 which support the weight of the cansand in turn rest upon any desired ioundation, not shown.

The cans are all oi like structure and are each provided with a wide topflange 10 which overlaps a shorter outturned top flange 11 at the top ofthe jacket 6. A packing 12 is in terposed between the flanges 10 and 11which are connected together by bolts 13 or equivalent readilydemountable fasteners. The inner can is of such size as to providebetween it and its jacket a brine space 1 1 er;- tending entirely aboutthe sides and under the bottom of thecan. A. disk 15 of suitableinsulating material, such as asphalt, is interposed in the center ofthis bottom brine space and is provided with a central aperture for thepassing therethrougho-t the water nozzle 16 which passes throu h thejacket and through the bottom of the can 5 and there receives aremovable nipple 17 which connects the be tom of the can to the nozzle.The nozzle is provided with a shoulder 13 which engages theunder-surface o l the'-b ttom oi the jacket in such position that bytightening up on the nipple 17 the 'an and jacket can be drawn tightlyagainst the insulation disk 15 as a packing to eil'ectively seal alljoints against leakage. The nipple 17 is provided with tool sockets 19adapted toreceive a. long handle tool by means of which it can beunscrewed from the work tioor thereby permitting the can?) to be readilylifted out (rt-the jacket and as readily replaced, it being onlynecessary to remove the attachingbolts 13 which are also readilyaccessible from the work floor. By this arrangement the cans can beassembled with and removed from their stationary jackets for interchangeor replacement with the greatest ease and facility. The insulating disk15 is of sufficient width and blocks oft enough of the brine space atthe center of the bottom of the can to accomplish two purposes, namely,to safe guardthe water nozzle "from becoming frozen and to maintain acentral unfrozen pocket of water at the bottom of the ice block, whichis desirable for facilitating the removal and replacement of core waterand the circulation 01 air.

The brine, which term I use for any available ret'rigerant, for freezingor thawing is supplied to the cans from a brine header 20 which is laidin the bottom insulation 8 and has laterals 21 leading to each sidethrough the insulation and through the can supports 8 to each side ofthe several cans at the center thereof, as will be seen more clearly inFi 1. There the laterals are provided with suitable elbows 22 andconnections 23 opening through the bottom of the jacket on oppositesides of the insulation disk 15. These connections may be provided withremovable nipples 17, similar to 17, and likewise adapted to beunscrewed from above should it be desired to disconnect the jacket -fromthe brine inlet connections. The brine return header 24 is provided withlaterals 25 extends ing alongside the can jackets to the middle thereofand there provided with angled connections 26 which enter the topportion of the nine space on opposite sides of the center. This headerand the laterals 25 are also suitably enclosed within the insulation 7and protected thereby. Cold brine is supplied to the header 20 undercontrol of Valve 27 from pipe line 28 in which is included the motordriven pump 29, the brine cooler 30 and a return pipe 31 comprising avalve 32 and connected to one endo'f the return header 2 1. The returnheader 24: at its other end, under control of a valve 33, is connectedto a pipe 3& which includes a motor driven pump 35, a coil 36 in thetore cooler 37, and a return pipe line 38 comprising a valve 39 andconnected to the header 20. During the freezing operation, the valves 33and 39 are closed, the valves 27 and 32 are opened and the pump willthereupon force a circulation of brine from the cooler 30 through theheader 20, laterals 21 through the brine space 14- in the several cansand out through the laterals 25 and return header 24: past valve 32 andthrough the pipe line 31 to the cooler 30, thence returning in the samecycle. A relatively small quantity of brine can with this arrangement beforced at high velocity to travelthrough the brine spaces in thejacketed cans while protected throughout its circulating system witheificient insulation, and it is capable of producing a. very rapidfreezing so that the ice in 300 lb. blocks can be made within from 26'to30 hours without difficulty.

VVhen it is desired to harvest the ice the valves 27 and 32 are closed,the valves 33 and 39 are opened, whereupon warm brine will flow from theline 33 past valve 39 through the header 20 and laterals 21 and upthrough the brine spaces 14L in the several cans, returning throughlaterals 25 and header 24: "past valve 33 and the pump to the forecooler 37 where it serves to prechill the water supply for the cans andin doing respective water nozzle 16.

so becomes sufficiently heated to adapt it to rapidly thaw the iceblocks for harvesting.

The water system in my apparatus comprises a pipe connection 40 leadingfrom the fore cooler 37 to a supply tank 41 into which which water flowsunder the control of a valve 42 responsive to a float 43 which is setand adapted to maintain the water level in the tank 41 at the properlevel for the water in the cans. This will be seen more clearly in Fig.3. A water supply line 44 leads from the bottom of the tank 41 past anoverflow 45 with its open top level with the predeten' mined water levelfor the cans and then continues past the control valve 46 to a waterheader 47 which has cross connections 48 and 49 at the end of eachseries of cans or elsewhere which connect it with a parallel heador 50.The headers 47 and 50 run along the outside of the cans in each groupand are provided with laterals 51 which lead inwardly through theinsulation 8 to the center of each can and are there provided withelbows 52 by means of which each connects to its The header 47 beyondthe connection 49 therewith loads past a valve 53 to a suction pump 54driven by a motor 55 and adapted to discharge the core water through adischarge pipe 56. In operating the water system, the valve 46 is openedto admit raw Water to flow through the laterals 51 and fill the tanks tothe level controlled by the float 43 in the tank 41 and by the overflow45 the valve 53 being closed during the filling operation. When it isdesired to draw the core water, the valve 46 is closed, the valve 53 isopened and the pump 54 started, which will rapidly suck out anddischarge the core water, whereupon this can be replaced by againclosing the valve 53 and opening the valve 46. Preferably the pipingsystem will be arranged for juxtapo sition of the valves 46 and 53.

My invention contemplates the use of low pressure air though obviouslyhigh pressure air may be used if desired. I show the air supply pipe 57for a group of cans having a control valve 58 and having air headers 59and 60 on opposite sides of the cans which are respectively connected bylaterals 61 leading through the insulation 8 and supports 9 andconnected into the water nozzles 16 as a preferred manner of introducingair in the cans. By so introducing the air I avoid a separate airconnection to the cans. The air will, in a manner well understood,continuously bubble up through the water and ice block core and the airpipes will be amply protected from freezing by the insulation 8. It willbe noted that both the air and water laterals 61 and 51 are removed asfar as possible from and preferably disposed on opposite ends of the canfrom the brine supply laterals 22. This is important as an arrangementfor reducing to a minimum the chance of freezing either the water or airconnections.

It will be obvious that my system is capable of being operated with verygreat facility and flexibility and that by using the same headers andlaterals for the distribution of bot-l1 hot and cold brine I obtainmaximum simplicity in construction and lowest possible cost of erectionand maintenance of the apparatus. My methods for the removal andreplacement of the core water eliminates most of the labor incident tothe manufacture of ice and the very rapid circulation which can beinduced will enable me to operate the system with a very small quantityof brine at high efficiency.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an ice making machine, a freezing unit comprising an outer brinecontaining jacket, a water can fitted into the jacket to provide acommon bottom and side brine space, means connected to the jacket tocirculatebrine through said space, an insulation filler occupying thecenter of the bottom brine space, a Water nozzle leading through theacket and filler to the can, and a nipple removable from above forconnecting the can to the nozzle.

2. In an ice making machine, a freezing unit comprising a brinecontaining jacket open overhead, a Water can detachably connectedoverhead to the jacket and spaced throughout its sides and bottomtherefrom, a disk of insulating packing filling the space between thecan and jacket bottoms, a water inlet for the can which is surrounded bysaid disk between can and jacket, said inlet comprising a top and ascrew nipple adapted to tighten the can and jacket walls against thepacking disk, and brine circulating connections for the jacket.

3. In an ice making apparatus, a plurality of jacketed freezing cans,manifold brine supply and return circulation connections to the canjackets, manifold bottom water connections to the cans, and insulationunder and around the cans and between the brine and water connections.

4. An ice making apparatus according to claim 3, in which the brinesupply connections for a can enter its jacket at the sides of the bottomthereof and the water connection leads to the center of the can bottomin spaced relation to the brine connections.

5. In an ice making apparatus, a plurality of jacketed freezing cans,manifold brine supply and return circulation connections to the canjackets, manifold bottom water connections to the cans, insulation underand around the cans and between the brine and water connections,supports under the cans, brine circulating connections leading throughthe supports and insulation to the can jackets,

and Water supply pipes leading beneath the supports and bottominsulation and passing the latter upwardly in spaced relation to thebrine pipes into the cans.

6. In a stationary can apparatus for mak ing ice, a group of acketedcans, means to circulate brine through the can jackets, a brine cooler,a fore cooler, means to direct the brine circulation through the brinecooler or the fore cooler, a Water supply tank, Valve controlled inletmanifold connections to the group of cans, means to supply chilled Waterto the tank from the fore cooler and maintain it therein at the leveldesired for the cans, and a valve controlled outlet connection leadingfrom the inlet manifold connections to a group to discharge the coreWater.

7. An ice freezing apparatus comprising a group of stationary jacketedfreezing cans, surrounded by insulation and each having a brine spacesurrounding its sides and extending under all but the center of itsbottom, an insulating disk occupying the brine space beneath each can,top and bottom brine circulation connections leading through theinsulation to the can ackets, and air and Water manifold supply circuitsleading to the center of the can bottoms through the insulating disk andprotected thereby from freezing and valve controlled means forWithdrawing core slush through the Water manifold supply circuit.

8. A freezing can having a flat bottom and an outturned top marginalflange, a flat bottom can jacket also having a top flange, boltsconnecting the can and jacket flanges and as sembling same to provide ashallow brine space entirely enclosing the side and bottom Walls of thecan, a Water nozzle projecting centrally through the jacket and canbottoms, a nipple screwed on the nozzle, and a compressible body ofinsulation surrounding the nozzle and adapted to be compressedby saidnipple between the bottoms of the can and jacket to pack the nozzleopenings and insulate the nozzle.

9. In an ice making apparatus, a plurality of freezing cans each havingan opening in the bottom thereof, means for circulating brine around thecans, Water and air manifold connections to the openings in the bottomsof the cans, means for supplying Water to and Withdrawing core slushfrom the cans through the Water manifold, and valvemeans to control thesupply of air through the air manifold connections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM F. PHARR.

